Drossin Wins World University Games Title

Deena Drossin, a 1991 graduate of Agoura High, won the women’s 10,000-meter run in the World University Games in Catania, Sicily, on Friday.

Drossin, an eight-time NCAA Division I All-American during her career at the University of Arkansas, clocked 33:45.31 to defeat runner-up Lucilla Andreucci of Italy by nearly nine seconds.

It capped a superb season for Drossin, who ran a career-best of 32:47.44 in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in April and placed third in the USA Track & Field Championships in June.

Net gain: Gary Victor has been hired as women’s tennis coach at Cal State Northridge, replacing Tony Davila, who left in June.

Victor, an assistant under Davila for the 1995-96 season, was the boys’ and girls’ tennis coach at Alemany High last season. He is also vice president for the San Fernando Valley region of the United States Tennis Assn.

The Matadors were 10-15 last year and finished in a tie for fifth place in their inaugural season in the Big Sky Conference.

Berry’s back: Dan Berry has been hired to coach softball at Crescenta Valley High, replacing the man who three years ago replaced him--Alan Eberhart.

Berry, 50, started Crescenta Valley’s softball program and coached the Falcons for 12 years, compiling a 242-50 record, before leaving to take over at Pierce College.

He left Pierce in June to start a program at Mission College.

That assignment lasted one month before Mission dropped its athletic program.

During his previous assignment at Crescenta Valley, Berry led the Falcons to eight Pacific League titles and a Southern Section Division 3-A championship in 1986. He was 76-47 at Pierce.

Eberhart resigned the Crescenta Valley softball post to spend more time with his family. He remains the Falcons’ football coach.

Nanhed injured: Fredrik Nanhed, Cal Lutheran’s leading rusher the past two seasons, likely is out for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during practice Tuesday.

Nanhed, a junior, rushed for an NCAA Division III freshman record 1,380 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1995. In an injury-plagued season last year, he had 709 yards and five touchdowns in seven games.

He will undergo surgery Sept. 11, and is on crutches while waiting for the swelling in the knee to subside.

Doctors told Nanhed, 25, from Malmo, Sweden, that full recovery could take up to six months.

“But I’m hoping to try to push that up a little bit,” he said.

With Nanhed out, much of the offensive load will fall on fullback Billy Busch and freshman running backs Dorian Stitt (Royal High) and Troy Tucker, who have been impressive behind Nanhed in workouts.